Claro, Digicel and Telefónica Movistar Support UN Sustainable
Development Goals with Launch of We Care with GSMA

May 10, 2018 11:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

PANAMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Panamanian mobile industry today launched a series of initiatives
under the We Care campaign, supported by the GSMA in Latin America, to
promote local action in achieving the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Mobile operators Claro, Digicel and Telefónica
Movistar signed on to the GSMA Humanitarian Connectivity Charter to
strengthen response to natural disasters and the operators will also
work together to advance gender equality and the empowerment of girls
and women. The We Care Panama campaign was unveiled today at the GSMA
Latin America Plenary Meeting #46, which brings together the region’s
leading CEOs, regulators, executives and specialists from across the
broad technology ecosystem.

“To achieve the SDGs, it is necessary to take full advantage of the
transformational power of mobile technology,” said Sebastián Cabello,
Head of Latin America, GSMA. “The mobile industry is committed to
achieving the SDGs and through initiatives such as We Care, Panama’s
mobile operators are positively impacting citizens at the local level
while contributing to the ambitious 2030 global agenda.”

Enhancing coordination within and among mobile network operators
before, during and after a disaster;

Scaling and standardising preparedness and response activities across
the industry to enable a more predictable response; and

Strengthening partnerships between the mobile industry, government and
the humanitarian sector.

With this launch, Claro, Digicel and Telefónica Movistar join 147 mobile
operators across 106 countries that have already committed to the
Charter.

Promoting Gender Equality

In the second initiative of the We Care campaign, Panama’s mobile
operators have committed to contribute to SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
through:

Incorporating the gender perspective at the highest levels of
leadership and internally analysing the “glass ceiling” that often
limits the career advancement of women in the corporate world;

Leveraging social networks, websites and institutional channels to
raise awareness of actions designed to prevent violence against women;
and

Contributing the experience of the mobile industry in Panama to the
dialogue of Women 20 (W20) to help close the digital gender gap on a
global basis.

As a W20 Topic Chair, the GSMA will help lead the debate in the run-up
to the G20 Argentina 2018 summit taking place in Buenos Aires, 30
November – 1 December 2018. This includes creating forums for dialogue
with international organisations and experts to help draft the W20
recommendations and influence decision-making groups in the G20 to carry
out policies towards gender equality. Achieving equality via digital
inclusion is one of the four strategic objectives of the W20, alongside
labour inclusion, financial inclusion and rural development.

“Claro Panama and the América Móvil group, together with the Carlos Slim
Foundation, believe that with access to information technologies, we can
make new tools available, such as the free platforms Aprende.org and Capacítate
para el Empleo. Both can have a positive impact on the girls and
women who use them, contributing to their professional and academic
development, allowing them to participate actively in the country’s
social and economic growth,” said Oscar Borda, General Director of Claro
Panama.

“The recent investment in LTE technology in Panama will allow internet
access in rural or remote places where there was not a fast internet
connection before, helping to reduce the digital divide. As the gap
narrows, the country’s citizens and businesses will have greater
opportunities to access information technologies and the benefits they
deliver,” said Santiago Gradin, Commercial Director of Digicel Panama.

“At Telefónica Movistar, we are committed to the ‘We Care Panama’
campaign because we understand that connectivity and gender equality are
pillars of a country’s development. Our focus of social investment is
aligned to our business strategy because we live sustainability on a
daily basis. By doing things properly, being responsible with the
environment and society, we build the company of the future. That is why
we work on various issues associated with education and the environment
with emblematic programs such as electronic waste recycling through the
‘The Earth calls you: Answer’ initiative, reducing emissions, promoting
digital inclusion by serving remote areas, and the Digital Classroom
program of ProFuturo, through which we bring digital education to
vulnerable communities. And in this context, we make alliances with the
experts in each sector to ensure that we do it well and with the best
result,” said Marcelo Mouzo, General Manager of Telefónica Movistar
Panamá.

Underscoring the mobile industry’s commitment to the SDGs, the GSMA We
Care campaign is an initiative of the region’s leading mobile operators
to ensure all users can enjoy the life-changing benefits of mobile
technology in a safe and secure environment. To achieve this, operators
have joined forces to take on a series of commitments in every country
in the region where mobile phones and networks can provide solutions to
social problems. The We Care campaign has been launched in Argentina,
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru,
and will continue to expand across the region.

-ENDS-

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting
nearly 800 operators with more than 300 companies in the broader mobile
ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies,
equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in
adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading
events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai,
Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com.
Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.